Many New Amenities and Options at Washington’s Airports Await Holiday Travelers

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Reagan National and Dulles International airports are preparing to make the busy Thanksgiving travel rush more enjoyable than ever for passengers, with enhanced offerings, new services and helpful travel tips. Travelers at the two airports can enjoy easier parking, reduced wait times for customs processing, new airlines, new destinations and the opening of several new food and retail options.

During the 11-day holiday travel period, November 21 – December 1, Washington's airports are forecasted to accommodate as many as 1.5 million passengers. Increases in Thanksgiving airport travel are expected nationwide, with full flights–especially at peak travel times. Travelers at Reagan National and Dulles International will be able to take full advantage of these enhancements made throughout the year.

A new 99-space Short Term parking lot opened across from the Terminal A parking garage. It is an especially convenient location to access Terminal A or to wait for an arriving traveler in the event the Cell Phone lot is full. A credit card is required to enter and exit the lot. Hourly parking is also available in all Terminal parking garages.

Dulles purchased and installed 40 self-service kiosks to speed up the Customs arrivals process for international travelers landing at the airport. All passengers with U.S. and Canadian passports and passengers from visa waiver countries will use the new kiosks instead of the old process of filling out paper forms to be reviewed by Customs officers. ‘Dulles Passport Express’ reduces the time Customs officers previously spent on administrative tasks and increases the overall efficiency of the inspection process.

Metro to Dulles, Closer Than Ever

There are plenty of ways to get to Dulles International, and the options continue to expand. Metro to Dulles is closer than ever with Silver Line construction now underway at the airport and new stations open to the east. Passengers can ride nonstop between Dulles and the Silver Line for just $5 each way on the new Silver Line Express bus. Buses run every 15-20 minutes to the Silver Line’s Wiehle-Reston East station, replacing the discontinued Washington Flyer Coach bus to/from West Falls Church. Buses may be added to the route during peak holiday travel times to accommodate increased ridership. With Silver Line Express, the total trip cost from anywhere in the Metrorail system to Dulles is $11 or less per person.

New Air Service and Facility Changes at Reagan National

Some ticketing, baggage claim and gate locations of airlines shifted this year at Reagan National due to mergers and service expansions. Customers of American, US Airways, JetBlue,Southwest and Virgin America, take special note. See all the changes below:

An expanded security screening checkpoint opened in Terminal A to accommodate the increased passenger traffic at the terminal’s nine airline gates.

American and US Airways baggage claim offices are now consolidated into one office next to claim area #12.

JetBlue relocated from Terminal A Gates 1, 2, 8 and 9 to Terminal B Gates 26, 28, 30 and 32; Ticket counter and baggage claim also relocated to Terminal B. New signage is in place. The airline has added six daily round-trip flights to its schedule since June.

Southwest expanded its gate space in Terminal A to six of the terminal’s nine gates (2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9). With 44 daily round-trip flights, the airline has become the airport’s second largest carrier.

The airports are transforming the shopping and dining experience to include more iconic and local brands for passengers to choose from. Visit the Reagan National and Dulles International construction update webpages to keep track of the latest new developments.

Now Open at Reagan National

New Food & Beverage

American Tap Room – Gates 35-45

Ben’s Chili Bowl – Terminal B/C

Five Guys – Gates 35-45

Legal Sea Foods – Terminal B/C

Pinkberry – Terminal B/C

Starbucks – Terminal B/C ticketing

Several new options in Terminal A

New Retail

Brighton – Terminal B/C

Brooks Brothers – Terminal B/C

Lacoste – Terminal B/C

Newsstands – Airport-wide

Spanx – Terminal B/C

Vineyard Vines – Terminal B/C

Now Open at Dulles International

New Food & Beverage

Au Bon Pain – Gate C14

Auntie Anne’s – Gate C9

Bistro Atelier – Gate D14

brb (be right burger) – Gate C14

The Firkin & Fox – Gate A3

luv’nberry – Gate A22

Starbucks – Bag Claim #14 & D16

Urban Market – B47

New Retail

America! – C11

Estee Lauder/MAC – B52

Newsstands – Airport-wide

Tumi – B52

Swarovski – B52

Top Airport Travel Tips

Get started early. The Thanksgiving holiday rush is likely to start on Friday, Nov. 21, and continue through Monday, Dec. 1. Peak travel times are during the early morning (5:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.) and late afternoon (3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.). There could also be a mid-day peak (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Passengers are advised to arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight, especially during these times.

Dulles International travelers can check security checkpoint wait times online and on their mobile devices at flydulles.com/waittimes and on large displays at the airport. The wait times are updated every minute and can help passengers make smarter decisions about the best way to get to their gates.

Avoid traveling with wrapped gifts. All items carried past the security checkpoint are subject to inspection and may be unwrapped.

Confirm the status of your flight with your airline before arriving at the airport. Weather here or in other parts of the country can affect flight schedules across the air travel network.

Print out your boarding pass and pay any airline baggage fees in advance. If your boarding pass states “TSA Pre✓,” proceed to the appropriate security checkpoint. This will save valuable time when moving through the airport.

Bring government-issued photo ID to the airport for all adult passengers.

Expect full flights and full luggage bins onboard airplanes during the busiest days, including the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving. Plan your trip accordingly.

Pack wisely – no prohibited items in carry-on luggage; and no valuable items in checked luggage. Label your luggage so your name is plainly visible.

Economy parking at Reagan National tends to fill during peak holiday periods, passengers should check parking options and take advantage of the new option to reserve space in advance atflyreagan.com/parking.

Sit down and enjoy a meal at the airport before your flight or order something to bring with you on the airplane. Convenient dining options are available both pre-security and post-security at Reagan National and Dulles International.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority was established in 1987 by the governments of Virginia and the District of Columbia to manage and operate Washington’s Ronald Reagan National and Dulles International airports, which together serve more than 40 million passengers a year. The Airports Authority also operates and maintains the Dulles Airport Access Road and the Dulles Toll Road and manages construction of the Silver Line project, a 23-mile extension of the Washington region’s Metrorail system into Loudoun County, Va. No taxpayer money is used to operate the toll road, which is funded by toll revenues, or the airports, which are funded through aircraft landing fees, rents and revenues from concessions. The Silver Line construction is funded by a combination of toll-road revenues, airport contributions and federal, state and local government appropriations. The Airports Authority is led by a 17-member board of directors appointed by the governors of Virginia, Maryland, the mayor of Washington, D.C., and the president of the United States.